Spring Arena

Sunday, 23 September 2018

The People’s Democratic Party PDP has urged the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to deny the party it divine win, saying the commission should declare its candidate Ademola Adeleke winner of the election.

The independent National Electoral Commission had earlier today declared the Osun state governorship election inconclusive after the margin between the two leading contenders in the poll is not in excess of a total number of registration of the polling unit.

The returning officer, Prof Joseph Fuwape said the electoral guide explains that where the margin is in excess of a total number of the winner the polling units is likely to be declared inconclusive

The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party Ademola Adeleke got a total of 254, 698 votes while Isiaka Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress poll 254, 345 votes to come in second after the votes from all the local councils in the state were tallied.

“Unfortunately as the returning officer, it’s not possible to declare anybody as the clear winner of the election on the first ballot,” Joseph Fuwape, the election’s returning officer said on Sunday’’.

Continuing, the Peoples Democratic Party via its Twitter handle said “we reject in its entirety the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) @nigeria declaration of the September 22, 2018, Osun state Governorship election as inconclusive.

‘’The process was conclusive and our candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who won a total of 254,698 votes is in clear lead and should be immediately declared a winner by having met the requirements of the 1999 constitution (as amended)’’

‘’Section179 (2) (a)(b) of the 1999 constitution as (amended), is clear and very unambiguous in spelling out the condition for returning a candidate to the governor of a state’’.

‘This section states inter-alia,’’ A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a state deemed to have been duly elected where (a) he has the highest number of votes cast.. and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast’’.

The declaration of the election as inconclusive, by @inecnigeria, is, therefore, a sordid robbery of the franchise of the people of Osun State, who participated in the election. It is obvious that having failed in their schemes to alter the final results due to the resistance of the people, the @OfficialAPCNg had to bear pressure on @inecnigeria to declare the election inconclusive so as to pave way for the perfection of their manipulative schemes”

Explaining another pointer, a lawyer, Dr west idahosa took to his Facebook account to give his views and that which was obtained by urban express news online correspondent where he made it clear that the electoral umpire is probably relying on their 2015 guidelines which appear contrary to the constitutional provisions on the matter.

Idahosa said it may make sense if the votes involved are in relation to centres where elections were not held due to a fault of the voters, however, where an election was held and votes are cancelled, they may remain cancelled.

“They ought not to form part of the counting process and should not influence the outcome of the election for any reason what so ever’’

He said in Oshiomhole vs. Osunbor & ors, cancelled votes were added to PDP scores and that court held that cancelled votes had no role to play in an election adding that Votes were deducted and Oshiomhole was declared a winner of the election

Meanwhile, the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a statement said the returning officer is unable to return any winner due to the legal framework and INEC Guidelines

‘’This was a result of areas where results are cancelled there were no voting or there were disruptions’’.

The statement Put further that during enumeration the affected areas as follows Orolu, local government, there was of disruption, it said ife south was a result of the malfunction of a card reader, whilst ife north was as a result of over voting.

The statement also explained that in osogbo, no voting actually took place.

“in light of the foregoing, the commission meet and decide it will mobiles and rerun to the affected polling units on Thursday 27th September 2018 to rerun the election, conclude, collation and make a return’’.